


Here With You

by Crystallized8Huntress



Category: Girl x Girl - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-11-23 11:30:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20891396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystallized8Huntress/pseuds/Crystallized8Huntress
Summary: Rejected by her family and friends Sapphire is left on the cold streets to freeze to death, having to put up with snide remarks and ridicule she stays determined for a brighter future and her future comes as a statement."This is unusual."GirlxGirl so Les bi honest to the haters to simply leave if they don't like it since I don't need critics from homophobic people. But for those who wish to continue then please enjoy and hope you like it!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Idk what to say here

Sapphire woke with a start. She groaned, and tried to find a more comfortable, warmer position. The cold stones on the floor really didn't help.

With another groan, she opened her eyes. It was dark around her, and the only other living being here were the alley cats in the garbage cans. She rubbed her eyes with her muddy hand, and got up. The cold, winter air was late leaving for the spring. Ignoring the shivers from her body, she walked up to the trash. The cats hissed and departed when she shook a container.

Sapphire shivered again. All she was wearing was a jeans and a short-sleeved shirt, with a thin sweater. It really didn't suffice in these harsh conditions.

She rummaged through the trash. She didn't care about getting her hands dirty; they couldn't get much worse than they were already.

Nothing to eat. Well, nothing that looked close to edible. Groaning when her stomach made her hunger more known, she grabbed a cup. She was going to beg, it was her last resort.

Sapphire shivered again as she moved to the more populated streets. She didn't like sitting out here in the open. It made her feel ridiculous, less than human, even. People laughed and insulted her because of her dirty clothes and hair.

So she only stayed at the mildly populated streets. The chances of surviving financially were les great, but it spared the poor girl a lot of ridicule.

Sapphire chose a place in the corner, a place that wouldn't bother too many people, but that was still visible.

She sat down carefully, wincing as she felt the cold stones through her thin jeans. She put the cup in front of her, and wrapped her arms around her knees.

The girl could only look at the passing people, all comfortable in their warm jackets. Couples walked by arm-in-arm, drinking a hot coffee or eating warm bread. Children twirled around, rejoicing about going to school to play with their friends.

Sapphire felt tears coming to her eyes. She was once one of them...

A group of young teenage boys walked by, pointing and laughing at her misfortune. She felt her gut clench.

This was all so unfair. It wasn't her fault she got here, just a whole bunch of ill luck.

She inhaled deeply, wanting to sob again when the smell of warm treats filled her nose. Her stomach growled again. She was so unlucky.

For hours, Sapphire sat there, resisting nasty remarks, and every now and then collecting a coin. She didn't look up, and shivered whenever the wind collected in the corner.

Sapphire rubbed her hands together. She really was cold.

Shifting again, trying to find a better position, the girl stuffed her head on her knees. She flinched when she heard somebody stop in front of her. Two thick brown boots entered Sapphire's vision.

"This is unusual" Sapphire's eyes opened wide, but she refused to raise her head. This voice...it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. It didn't sound sarcastic, pitiful, or mocking. It was making a statement, not being polite, but then again, it was far from rude. "Tell me, how old are you?" Sapphire didn't want to answer, but did anyway. To be able to talk to somebody only came every once in two months. This moment was almost like gold to her.

"Fourteen" she barely said it loud enough for the stranger to hear. The person kneeled before her, but Sapphire didn't look up. She didn't want to face a perfectly ordinary, lucky person with her own eyes.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?" her breath caught. School... the memories flashed back, the sneers, the pushes, the friends that turned their backs on her.

"What school?" she almost snapped. The woman, it was most certainly a woman, didn't flinch.

"What about your family?" pushes, screams, words of dishonor flashed in front of the younger girl's eyes.

"What family?" the woman sighed.

"You really have nowhere else to be, then?" Sapphire shook her head between her arms, and shivered again when another gust of wind rolled down her spine. She was sure this lady saw it.

"My, it is cold out here. Come with me, I'll give you something warm to eat" Sapphire wanted to refuse. She wanted to accept. Who takes offers from a stranger? Who denies a warm meal when you didn't have any for almost two months?

The stranger stood up, and Sapphire almost relunctantly followed, her legs and arms stiff. She picked up her plastic cup and looked inside.

Fifty cents. Not a lot, for sure. Barely enough for one drink.

"Come on, my house isn't far away" offered the woman. Sapphire followed slowly as she started walking.

Sapphire didn't know what to do. This person was really acting nice, but could she bet trusted? They just barely met, after all. Sapphire didn't know if she should continue following this person. Her instinct told her to be wary, but her stomach told her otherwise.

Her steps slowed down, and she grew uncertain. The older woman chuckled.

"You don't want to stay outside in this cold, do you? Come on, it's not five minutes away. If you really want to leave, I won't stop you" Sapphire swallowed. This person was being so nice...

With a slow step, she continued walking.

Sure enough, Miku was led to the door of an apartment in less than five minutes. The stranger opened the door, wiped her feet on the mat, and motioned for the younger girl to follow.

Sapphire did the same, and looked around.

It was a neat place, and gave off a warm feeling. Everything was either wooden or white leather, giving the room a sturdy feeling, yet the decorations gave off a friendlier aura. Sapphire still didn't meet her savior's eyes.

Sapphire felt warmth spread through her limbs just by standing inside. She didn't feel so warm since...

The woman closed the door, keeping it unlocked, and hung her jacket. For some reason, the atmosphere felt a little slightly stiff. This nice lady must have seen her face as she was looking around. She must have been revolted by her.

"So, what do you want? Coffee, tea?" Sapphire asked for tea, still not looking at the nice woman, only at her feet as they entered the kitchen. Sapphire heard the water start to boil after a few moments.

"Don't just stand there, make yourself at home! This isn't a prison, so feel comfortable!" Sapphire nodded, even if her host couldn't see.

She slowly walked towards the big table, her dirty socks slightly staining the white, tiled floor. Sapphire winced when she saw the foot prints.

"Ah, no biggie. It's easily removed, so don't worry" Sapphire relaxed a bit. This person was being really nice.

Sapphire admired the wooden furniture and the white walls. Everything seemed so comfortable. Completely the contrary to her old house-

Screams, yells, hits. Sapphire winced again, stopping in her tracks as the horrible memories filled her head again. Her host's voice saved her from her travel back to hell.

"Come, sit!" Sapphire turned around, only to freeze again.

She was absolutely gorgeous.

No other information was processed in Sapphire's mind. No details, no colors, nothing small or little was distinguished. Only the whole, entire outline stuck in her mind.

Completely frozen, she forgot she was supposed to do something, anything. She forgot she was in a stranger's house, saved from the biting cold. She forgot her problems, her past. All that because of this person.

Immediately, Sapphire felt sick. She wasn't supposed to...

Quickly snapping out of her trance, the girl averted her gaze and gingerly sat down at the table. The woman handed her the cup, which Sapphire took carefully, avoiding physical contact.

The warmth of the small object made her spine tingle. She hadn't had anything hot to eat since...forever. Actually, since Christmas.

Carefully taking a sip, Sapphire felt the stranger's gaze on her. The image of her face reappeared in her mind, making Sapphire wince. This was wrong...

"Why did you take me in?" she asked, all of a sudden. "Why did you help me?" she didn't dare look up. Sapphire heard the person shrug a little.

"I couldn't just leave you there. It was ice cold, and you were shivering" Sapphire didn't feel satisfied by this. It felt absent of something important.

Or was she trying to find a better reason? Was she trying to find another reason for this marvelous person to bring her in?

Shaking her head, she let the question die.

Sapphire took another sip, a surprisingly comfortable silence filling the room. Sapphire relished in this simple cup of tea. It was gold to her eyes.

But what was she doing here, in a stranger's house? In the house of a person who had welcomed her for no peculiar reason?

Sapphire felt like she was intruding.

"What's your name?" the girl nearly jumped at the sudden question. She replied after some time.

"Sapphire..." that was all she would say. 'Bell' didn't belong to her anymore, anyways.

"You can call me Ruby. And please, don't feel shy" Sapphire blushed a little. How could she not be shy? She was in a stranger's house! And...

Sapphire quickly took another sip, trying not to think about 'it', 'the' reason she was pushed out of her house.

"I don't want to be nosy, but how could a perfectly healthy young girl like you do in the streets?" Sapphire replied coldy to that.

"I was kicked out. My parents didn't want me anymore" she answered quickly. She really didn't want to get into details, especially with this person.

"Well, if I know one thing, it's that I don't understand your parents" said Ruby. Sapphire saw that she was trying to lighten the mood. "I don't see why anybody would forbid you to go home. You seem like a charming girl" Sapphire blushed. She really didn't want to take compliments right now.

"I don't really want to talk about it..." she muttered. She felt Ruby smile.

"Well, I live here alone. My parents gave it to me for some reason, so you can stay with me if you want"

Sapphire's head shot up. What? Did she hear right? Did this person just offer to a complete stranger for her to stay? This was completely absurd!

Yet Sapphire tried to stay polite.

"I don't want to-" the woman interrupted her.

"You're not going to be a burden, or any other excuse of that genre! You have no home, while I have one completely to myself. I don't care about the rent, or taxes. If you want to stay, then you're welcome to" Sapphire was still baffled.

"But...but why?"

"Because I don't want a pretty girl like you to waste your life on the streets. You have a future, and that's not sitting on cold stone all day" Sapphire blushed again.

She didn't want to stay with this woman, yet she actually really did want to. Her heart and her reason were each pulling her in different directions.

She had no idea what to do. She really wanted a warm place to stay, study, and have a future like Ruby said. But this is all so sudden, and the offer is coming from a person she barely knew!

Again, it was absurd.

Yet Sapphire knew she was going to bend.

"If it really doesn't bother you-"

"I already said that. Stay if you want, consider this a free hotel" Sapphire felt her blush intensify.

"I think I could stay a few nights" there. Sapphire felt her heart dance a little victory dance while her reason started scolding her. She knew this was going to end really badly. Ruby smiled.

"Great! Time for a proper introduction! My name is Ruby Pricefield-call me anything besides Ruby and I'll flog you-, I'm seventeen, my favorite food is fish, my favorite color is Blue -like your hair-, I sing, and I go to Bethooven's High School. And what about you?" Sapphire was taken aback. Seventeen? She seemed so much older- as a compliment, mind you- but still! She seemed at least twenty!

A little shaken and embarrassed, she tried to match her introduction with Ruby's.

"I'm Sapphire, I'm sixteen, I like broccoli, my favorite color is purple" like her eyes... "I don't really have a hobby, and I got kicked out of Crypton High School" she finished.

Ruby smiled.

"Maybe you could go with me to my school. I'm sure you'll like it there" Sapphire was once again shocked.

Why in the name of deaf pigeons was this woman being so nice to her? A home, a school, what next? A job? A husband?

Sapphire blushed again. No, she will never have a husband, she knew that.

"You blush a lot, don't you?" Sapphire's blush intensified. "Hey, I don't mind. In fact, you're cute when you blush" Sapphire's face became even redder. Now a tomato was pale in comparison. Ruby laughed.

"You're really cute, Sapphire. So, what would you like for dinner? I suppose something with broccoli?" Sapphire slowly nodded. When was the last time she had a broccoli? Forever, almost.

"Alright. I'm going to go shop for a few things. Do you want to wait here?" Sapphire hesitated a moment, but nodded.

Did Ruby actually trust a homeless to stay alone in her house? Seriously, Sapphire could grab anything worth much and flee.

"Ok, I'll be back in about an hour" without waiting for an answer, Ruby left the house, quickly pulling on her coat and shoes.

Sapphire decided to look around.

Walking through the halls, she found a living room. There was a large flat screen TV in front of a big comfortable looking couch. Books filled a bookcase on the opposite wall from the door.

Going back, Sapphire walked past the kitchen and dining room, and found a very simple bathroom. Further up there was a staircase, so Sapphire walked up to the next floor.

One long hall, with three rooms on each side. The first to the left was a study, with another bookcase and a desk. All pens, pencils, ink, sharpeners, staplers, everything was neatly put in different containers. The room opposite the study was a bathroom. A tub and a shower, a large mirror and again very neatly cleaned up brush and toothpaste. Almost no makeup was to be seen, not like Ruby needed any. The next room on the left side of the hall was Ruby's bedroom. Once Sapphire knew what it was, she turned around. It was rude to intrude in somebody else's most private room. She learned that the hard way.

The next room, next to Ruby's bedroom, was big and empty. Nothing besides a few lamps and a glass roof. Finding that a little peculiar, Sapphire headed to the last two rooms.

Both were guest rooms. A bed, a desk, and a bookcase.

Heading downstairs, Sapphire realized that everything was clean to the slightest speck of dust and every object had a neat place. The tidiness was almost shocking.

It seemed opposite to the person living here. She was open, humorous, and greeted random people.

It was still strange, that this person would greet her in such a way. She invited a complete stranger for tea, then invited her to stay and go to the same school! She was either extremely peculiar or very wise.

But, that didn't trouble Sapphire as much as she expected. Heck, she wished it was what troubled her the most. But, it wasn't. She had a bigger problem on her mind.

Sapphire looked at herself. All dirty, with muddy clothes. At least her socks didn't leave any footprints anymore.

She headed to the kitchen and washed her hands. For the moment, that was the least she could do.

She heard the front door open.

"Hey, I'm back!" Sapphire nearly jumped out of her skin. Already? How quickly had she been walking? Looking at the clock, she saw that it had in fact been one hour.

that was the fastest hour in Sapphire's life.

Sapphire came to meet her to prove that she was still there. No need to make this person think that she had run off with her computer and hi-def. television.

"There you are! I brought things to make dinner and a few clothes for you" Sapphire nearly fainted. Seriously? She brought her clothes? Now she was sure the taller girl was stupid.

"You didn't have to-"

"Yes, yes I did" interrupted the seventeen-year-old while heading for the kitchen. She really had a way of interrupting people as they spoke, it seemed.

"So, when do you want to eat?" she was acting as if they knew each other for years. It seemed odd. Sapphire shrugged.

"I don't know"

"Then we'll eat now"

The whole evening passed peacefully. They got to know each other better, and discovered the other's personality.

Ruby found Sapphire was a bit mysterious, serious, and focused. She did her best to stay on subject, but succumbed to jokes and funny stories. She didn't brag about anything and was reserved.

Ruby was open, playful and never seemed to keep a fixed subject. Connecting one thing to the other, their discussion departed from their favorite things to food to trees to gardens. She wasn't a person to boast, and saw a positive light in everything. And, not to forget, she was a great cook.

Whatever it was called she made with the broccoli was delicious, and Sapphire finished it before Ruby could start the conversation (fast, real fast).

Sapphire instantaneously felt more comfortable. This person was actually very nice, but seemed a little aloof and distracted. Yet, she was a good person to be with.

Washing the dishes, Ruby asked Sapphire where she wanted to sleep.

"Well, anywhere is better the cold rock" Ruby laughed.

"Then you can take one of the guestrooms. You can choose which one" they finished the dishes, and Ruby handed Sapphire the bag of clothes.

"You can have the shower first. Clean up, and try these on" Sapphire nodded and headed for the bathroom.

Making sure to lock the door, Sapphire studied herself in the mirror.

She was really dirty, literally. Covered in mud from head to toe, she wasn't going to be a beauty contest winner.

This Ruby person was very interesting. Sapphire enjoyed her company, and managed to drown the uncomfortable atmosphere she felt when close to the taller girl.

And yet, Sapphire knew nothing good was going to come from staying with her. She knew she was going to end up kicked out again.

As the hot water started washing away the mud, Sapphire found herself not caring anymore.

When did she last have a hot shower? She had no idea, but she knew it felt good.

The water washed away her worries as well, and Sapphire decided to make the best of what was going to come.


	2. Fresh Start

Sapphire opened her eyes. She was in a warm bed, on a soft mattress, her head resting on a soft, warm pillow.

Oh, yeah…Ruby had taken her in.

Sapphire smiled widely and stretched. She hadn't slept so well in days, weeks. She looked at the clock, and saw that it was ten thirty.

This is the first time in weeks that she had slept late.

Slipping on her new slippers Ruby had brought her the day before, she headed downstairs.

Ruby had brought her everything. Shirts, pants, socks, even underwear, much to Sapphire's embarrassment. The pair of slippers, the pajama and the bathrobe were also given to her by the tall girl.

Sapphire came downstairs, to find it deserted. A note hung on a fridge by a butterfly magnet.

"Hey, Sapphire . I'm at school, it's Monday today. I'll be back at four, approximately. I'll ask if you can come, too" Sapphire nearly face-palmed. She hadn't even accepted to go to that school yet!

And yet, she wanted to study, or anything like that. For months she had hung out in the streets, and now she craved to learn something else then how to beg.

Actually feeling thankful towards the taller girl, she started rummaging through the cupboards. Some cereal would suffice.

Sapphire did pretty much nothing all day. She ate breakfast, then looked around in the bookshelves, avoiding anything that seemed personal. She didn't touch anything electronic, but read the whole day.

Halfway through the book 'heir of fire', Sapphire heard the door open. The closing of said door was joined with a loud sigh.

"Hey, Ruby " greeted Miku as she joined her savior. Ruby smiled.

"Hey"

"How was school?"

"Tiring, as usual"

"Tiring?"

"Yeah" Ruby sat down at the dinner table, and opened her bag. Sapphire sat in front of her.

"What was so tiring?"

"The usual" Sapphire groaned.

"And what's the usual?" Ruby laughed.

"Imagine you're a hot girl, with good grades and a rich family. Nobody's going to ask you out or ask you anything" Sapphire sat straight.

She had forgotten about those things. All she remembered from school was sitting in a class and sleeping all day. But there were the popular, smart chicks, too.

Realization hit her like a freight train.

"So, you have a boyfriend?" Sapphire was scared of the answer, and was also scared of the reason of why she was scared for the answer. Ruby laughed again.

"Not a chance in the world" Sapphire slouched again.

"How come?"

"Nobody there interests me, for some reason" Sapphire felt immense relief spread through her limbs, and almost winced. Did she have to be like this?

Ruby started unpacking her books, and opened one with the word 'Math' smothered over the front.

"What is that?" Ruby laughed.

"Hard" Sapphire looked at the exercises. It was not that hard.

"I hate math. I prefer Sapnish" grumbled Ruby, writing down an answer. Sapphire made a face. Spanish? She really didn't like Spanish.

Sapphire carefully looked over the questions. When Ruby wrote down a nine, Sapphire shook her head.

"That's wrong" Ruby looked up at her.

"What?"

"The answer you just wrote. It's wrong. F(x)=3x - x divided by 2. When x is four it does not create nine, but ten. Four times three is twelve, and twelve minus two is ten" Ruby looked it over, and groaned.

"I hate math"

"I like math"

"Math is hard"

"Math makes sense"

"You win. Can you help?" Sapphire nodded, and sat next to the girl.

*Le Smol Timeskipz!*

Sapphire felt nervous as she looked at the tall building. It seemed very menacing, but Ruby assured her that everybody here was really nice. For some reason, the 'if you're having fun, you're not learning' sign on the wall didn't reassure her.

The past week the two have gotten to know each other better than ever. Sapphire helped Ruby with math while Ruby tutored her Spanish. Ruby showed the smaller girl what they were studying, and Sapphire understood perfectly. Nevertheless, Sapphire was going in tenth grade, while Ruby was one above her.

Sapphire looked at all of those people. She recognized some, having seen them at the train station in early mornings and late evenings.

Sapphire put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, nobody will tease you. I'll make sure of that" the taller girl then looked around while Sapphire observed the crowd.

A few kids their age were running towards them. Ruby greeted them with a smile.

"Hey, guys!" a girl with short brown hair looked at Sapphire.

"Let me guess. Sapphire, am I right?" Sapphire nodded, and a boy with blonde hair laughed.

"Yes, the mysterious girl with no last name!" Ruby grumbled.

"I told you not to call her that!" Sapphire blushed in embarrassment. They had been talking about her? A tall boy with green?😂 hair stepped forward.

"You have no idea how much we've heard about you. Ruby would just keep talking and talking about you-"

"That's well enough, Daniel" yelled Ruby, and Sapphire winced. Did Ruby just yell? That was a first. The brunette laughed.

"Really, Daniel. You're the only person who can make Ruby yell" the boy rubbed the back of his head.

"Ok. Everybody, this is Sapphire" introduced Ruby. "As if you don't know. Sapphire, these are Sarah, Andy, Daniel, Chris and Rose" Ruby pointed to everybody as she said their names. Sapphire nodded. They seemed like nice people.

Suddenly Andy, leaned forward.

"You seem familiar. Have I seen you somewhere?" Sapphire tensed. Sarah also started studying her.

"That's right, I have the impression of already having seen you…" Ruby laughed.

"Well, let's just say I saved her from a miserable step in life!" Sapphire blushed.

"Ruby! Stop embarrassing me!" Ruby smiled and patted her head. A girl who looked a lot like the blonde boy tilted her head to the side.

"Strange. I've never seen Ruby smile so much" Everybody looked at her and she blushed. "What? I'm just thinking out loud!" Chris, looked at his watch.

"We gotta get to class, guys. The bell rings in two minutes!" indeed, the grounds were getting deserted; everybody was going inside.

"Sapphire, you're in the same class as Rin and Len. Just follow them, ok?" Sapphire nodded at Ruby, and ran after the duo.

Sapphire found it strange that those two looked so much alike.

"Say, are you two twins?" Rose nodded.

"Yup, twins one day, twins every day!" Chris shook his head.

"Well, here is the class"

Sapphire was introduced to the class, and Sapphire could help but realize that some of her new classmates recognized her. Maybe hanging out at the station wasn't a good idea.

Sapphire was seated behind the twins, next to a curious girl with long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail to the side of her head.

"Haven't I seen you somewhere?" whispered the girl as the class started. Sapphire felt a slight frustration. This was the first time she went to school on months, and now she couldn't even listen to the teacher.

"Maybe" she replied quickly before turning her head back towards the front of the class.

"Well, anyway, I'm Alex Redfield, nice to meet you Sapphire!" Sapphire nodded and listened for the rest of the hour.

*Another smol Le Timeskipz* 

Sapphire was in heaven. Homework, teachers, regular people who didn't laugh at her demise. For many the first few might be hell, but for her it was gold.

She sighed and waited for rose and her brother to finish packing their bags. Sapphire had already finished packing hers before the hour even finished.

"Say, Sapphire. Why are you so happy?" demanded Rose, dragging the heavy bag behind her. Sapphire just hummed in response, and followed the two towards the cafeteria.

Ruby was already there, surrounded by her older friends. The brunette smiled when she saw Sapphire.

"Well, look who's happy" said Sarah, looking at Sapphire's wide smile. Ruby offered the girl a seat, which she took happily.

"So, make any friends?" she asked. Sapphire nodded.

"You, Andy, Sarah, Daniel, Rose, Chris and this girl named Alex" everybody chuckled at the joke, while Daniel frowned.

"Besides us?" Sapphire shook her head. "So what's with the smile?"

"It's just that I'm here in a normal school, surrounded by nice people" she said joyfully, unwrapping her lunch. Ruby had made it for her that morning, and Sapphire was impatient to taste it.

"Oh? Why does that make you so happy?" Sapphire shrugged and admired the meal her friend had made her. Broccoli everywhere. Now she was in paradise.

"It just seems so nice after spending so much time on the streets!" she said, not really caring anymore. These people were her friends now, anyway.

Everybody froze half a second, before Sarah nodded.

"I thought I saw you somewhere. Tell me, how did you get here?" Sapphire smiled.

"Ruby already said that" Ruby smiled as well.

"Yep, I'm the hero!" Andy scratched his head at that.

"You just took her in? But you barely knew her!"

"Not anymore!" said the two girls at the same time.

"But why?" Sapphire looked at Ruby, her smile falling the slightest bit.

"Indeed, Ruby. Why did you actually take me in? You didn't give me a convincing reason" Ruby pouted.

"You seemed convinced at the time"

"Well, I was drinking hot tea for the first time in months!" Ruby looked away, grumbling. Daniel stepped forward.

"And what were you actually doing outside at such cold weather?" Sapphire froze.

The yells, the screams, objects flying in her direction. Cold eyes, silent halls, books and pages ripped, yells in disgust.

Everybody observed as the girl who was smiling just a second ago started shrinking in her seat.

"I don't want to talk about it" Ruby wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Idiot, Daniel! I told you not to ask her! She wouldn't even tell me!"

"I wonder what would terrify her that much" whispered Rose. "Just thinking out loud!" she added, waving her arms frantically.

They watched in confusion as Sapphire seemed to enter a nightmare, her eyes open, but life seeming absent. Fear and confusion flashed multiple times in those teal orbs. Ruby rubbed her shoulders.

"Sapphire, wake up, its ok!" she tried, and Sapphire shook her head.

"Sorry for that" she said with a weak smile, tears brimming her eyes. "I think I need to be alone for a while" and with that, she got up and ran towards the restroom.

"What was that?" asked Daniel.

"That was your fault, idiot"

*Pov Sapphire but not her XD*

Sapphire sat on the ground, leaning against the cabinet door. She didn't want to be disturbed now.

For some reason, the flashback was worse this time.

It hurt, it hurt so badly.

And now, it was almost worse.

*********

Ruby walked towards the bathroom.

What made Sapphire so scared? She had asked the same question, but it wasn't this bad. Sapphire only rejected answering, she didn't enter a whirlpool of fear, or whatever it was.

She stopped in front of the door, and heard light sobs.

Sapphire seemed in great distress.

Ruby felt her gut clench. She felt very sad for Sapphire all of a sudden. Why did such a sweet girl have to go through such a torment? She didn't deserve such a past, Ruby knew that for sure.

*Le zmol Timeskipz* 

Sapphire turned on her side for the nineteenth time, and looked at the clock.

3 am. Sapphire groaned.

Exactly a week ago, Sapphire had joined the school. Sapphire had it easy, she understood everything, even Sapnish thanks to Ruby's help. She had aced her first test, earning a celebration from Ruby's part. Sapphire had become good friends with Ruby and the rest of the group. After school they would hang out, and do their homework. They even went to the movies that afternoon to celebrate Sapphire's A.

And yet, despite everything, days were getting worse and worse. Sapphire knew she wasn't supposed to stay, she knew things were going to end like this. She knew her feelings would turn in this direction.

She knew she would get kicked out all over again.

And seeing 'her' day after day only made those memories come back more and more often, and in greater, more painful detail.

Sapphire knew she would have to leave again, eventually. And 'eventually' meant soon.

She turned over again, facing the white wall.

Even if Ruby was a good joker, she could become super serious. She had A's on almost every test, and you should see her face when she did her homework. But also, she was super-serious with her friends when she had to.

The last Wednesday, a boy in the halls had recognized Sapphire, and had started yelling at her. Ruby had intervened immediately, and had pulled those boy's ears so long that he now resembled a donkey. Now the whole school knew where Sapphire came from, but nobody dared to talk about it anymore. Though, some respected Sapphire for that. They were astonished that she had so much experience in that domain. But whenever they tried to ask how she ended up on the streets, Ruby pulled her away from the scene.

Ruby was such a great friend to her, and that hurt. It hurt so badly.

Sapphire shook those thoughts out of her head, the flashbacks menacing to return.

She wanted to sleep, yet she feared to.

Looking at the clock again from over her shoulder, she saw that she had spent a good half an hour mumbling over her thoughts. Desperately trying to find sleep for school, she buried her head in the pillow.

*Smol Timeskipz later*

Sapphire stretched when Ruby called for her to wake up.

Two hours. She had had two crummy hours of sleep.

That sucked.

Slouching down the stairs, she collapsed at the table.

"Well, guess who hasn't slept last night" teased Ruby. Sapphire replied with a groan. "So, what kept you up?"

"Memories"

"The song? How could that keep you up?"

"No, not Memories! My memories, my nightmares!" she grumbled, feeling the icy cold fear gripping her again.

"Oh" Ruby handed Sapphire her usual breakfast, a small bowl of cereal with milk. Nothing complicated, nothing big. Sapphire was never hungry in mornings, well not anymore.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about them?" Sapphire immediately shook her head. Maybe, just maybe with anybody else, but not Ruby. Definitely not Ruby.

"Sure? Maybe it would make you feel better, to finally free-"

"Please, please no. I really don't" answered the smaller girl before starting on her breakfast. Ruby sighed, and went to prepare for school.

*Smol timesskip again ^^'* 

Sapphire, Ruby and everybody else sat at the lunch table.

They had all had a busy morning. Ruby and her class, including Sarah, Andy and Daniel, needed to present their reports on their chosen subjects, while the three younger friends had the pleasant surprise of an unexpected English test.

"I failed so miserably! I wasn't able to study!" yelled Sapphire, tears raining out of her eyes like in those ridiculous cartoons. Chris and Rose both knew they did a reasonable job, so they didn't worry. But Sapphire was practically offering herself a funeral.

"Don't worry, Sapphy! It's only your second test, you can easily catch up!" reassured Ruby.

"But what will the teacher think when he sees that I have an F after an A? He'll think I'd cheated the first one!"

"Nonsense"

"And what will the rest of the school say? They'll go back to treating me like a failure!"

Ruby scoffed. Now she was beginning to get theatrically and exaggeratingly dramatic.

"And what about my classmates! They won't talk to me anymore! And my parent-" she froze on the spot, eyes open wide. She quickly shook her head.

"Sorry, again" Ruby smiled, but felt worried.

"It's ok. Just know that we won't let you down for a grade, ok?" Sapphire nodded.

"Uh, Sapphire?" asked Chris, stepping forward. Sapphire looked at him, smiling slightly.

"Can I talk with you in private?" Sapphire was a little surprised, and couldn't stop herself from looking over Chris's head.

Everybody seemed…expectant. They had some look in their eyes, as if they knew what Chris was going to say to her. Even Ruby. Though…

"Ok" Chris lead her out of the cafeteria, a little bit to the side so that people wouldn't interrupt him.

"Well, we've known each other for a week, already, and I was wondering…" he seemed a little stressed, and Sapphire felt something start in her gut. Was he…

Sapphire felt her world crash down. She knew it. She knew those symptoms. She knew how he felt.

His heart must be thrumming in his chest, beating 100 miles per hour. He was impatient, anxious, scared.

She knew that fear, except ten times worse.

She knew, because she already asked somebody the same question. Except that person was…

"Will you go out with me?" he asked all of a sudden.

"I'm sorry" she croaked, feeling tears start to swell in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, but I don't like you that way. But I want to be friends, for sure" she had a difficult time answering as the words were pushed out of her throat, as the memories spilled back in her head.

How it had hurt.

Slaps, screams, cuts, bruises, running, hiding, fear, shame, all these things rushed back into her head. it hurt so badly.

She saw everything back from A to Z.

Nothing hurt more.

Sapphire couldn't take it, and saw her vision go black.


	3. Gentle Comfort In Your Arms

Sapphire groaned, but didn't open her eyes. This bed felt so warm, she wanted to stay here like she was married to it.

But she wanted to open her eyes. She knew that if she stayed her, those nightmares, those horrible realities would return. Rather divorce with the bed, then.

Sapphire opened her eyes slowly, wincing at the bright light. It must be around two in the afternoon. She knew that from the position of the sun. One knew these things from being in the streets for so long.

Sapphire sat up slowly, looking around. She was at the nurse's.

With another wince, Sapphire remembered what had happened about two hours ago.

"Hello?" she croaked. Great, her throat hurt, as if she had been screaming, a lot and loudly.

"Ah, hello, honey" a woman, the nurse, for sure, walked past the drawn curtain. Wait, why was it drawn? "How are you?"

"Not too bad. Nothing hurts…" the woman looked at her, deep in her eyes.

"Sure? Nothing on your shoulder, or arm or anything?" Sapphire was puzzled.

"What's with those weird questions?" the woman shook her head.

"You caused quite a scene, during lunch" Sapphire felt her gut tighten.

"What do you mean?" the nurse sighed.

"Your friend…Ruby, right? She wanted to tell you. For some reason it felt important to her" Sapphire nodded, and was handed a glass of water, which she took quickly. Darn, her throat really hurt badly.

"What time is it?"

"Three o'clock" she was close. Sapphire took another gulp of water, fear brewing in her stomach.

What kind of scene had she caused?

"School finishes in half an hour, so your friends will be here soon" Sapphire nodded.

"Honey, is something or somebody tormenting you?" Sapphire felt her breath catch.

"Not in particular"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the usual"

"What's the usual?"

"The usual" Sapphire had decided to use wordplay to get out of this, even if it seemed pathetic. It was better than trying to evade it completely, or else people would be even more curious.

"Honey, talking about your problems is better than sealing them up. Problems are like lions. Cage them for too long, and you risk having them escape, and doing damage. It's always better to talk" Sapphire nodded, fear growing. What had she said or done? Too much?

But she didn't know for sure yet, so she tried to keep a positive view on this.

*Smol timeskipz brought to u by a Kitten😂*

Half an hour later, Ruby stormed in the room. Sarah and Andy followed afterwards, panting.

"Sapphire, what has happened?" demanded Ruby, putting herself to Sapphire's eye level. Sapphire backed away, feeling nervous.

"What do you mean?"

"At lunch. Chris asked you out, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Then what?"

"I passed out"

"Then what?"

"I don't know! I was unconscious!" and she was having a full trip through nightmare lane during her sleep.

"No, you didn't. Well, maybe, but then you started having a nightmare. You were screaming horrible things as we were dragging you back here. We had to give you some medicine to make you sleep peacefully" Sapphire tensed.

"What kind of things?" she expected to worse now. Was the 'eventually' going to happen now?

"At first, you were just whimpering. Chris called us, and when Daniel tried to pick you up, you yelled in your sleep, and told him not to touch you. You gave a heart attack to the poor guy" explained Andy.

"And after that, you kept screaming at people we didn't see to leave you alone, that it wasn't you fault, that you wished it were different" finished Sarah. Ruby glared at the girl in the bed.

"What by all deities have you been hiding from me?"

"Us, Ruby. Us" inserted Andy.

Sapphire could only feel immense relief. She hadn't revealed her secret. Nobody was kicking her out yet.

"I don't want to talk about it" Ruby groaned.

"We understand that! But now, we have to know! Sapphire, did you commit a crime?" Sapphire felt repulsed by that question.

"No!" she yelled, her dignity hurt.

"Did you kill someone?" Sapphire couldn't believe that one.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Girls, please don't yell so much! Your friend Daniel needs his rest as well!" Sapphire froze. So they weren't joking when they said he had a heart attack?

"He broke in a fit of spasms on the floor" said Ruby, as if she could read her mind. "Now tell me, Sapphire, what was all that?" Sapphire frowned.

She really didn't want to talk about it. It was her darkest secret.

"Not telling" Ruby got up, turned on herself, and returned to her initial position under Sapphire's watchful eyes. Ruby seemed thoughtful.

"Sapphire, understand that I care greatly for you. There's a reason I picked you up from the street"

"Oh, so I'm the only one?" asked Sapphire, sarcasm present in her voice. she felt deeply insulted by the previous questions.

"Sapphire, I'm dead serious! If anything bothers you, I want you to trust me enough for you to tell me! Please!"

Sapphire felt bad, all of a sudden. Ruby wanted her to trust her?

She didn't know what to do. She didn't want Ruby to feel bad, but at the same time, she wanted to protect herself.

With a slight hesitation, she gave her answer.

"Not here. I'll tell you, but not here" Ruby seemed satisfied enough with that, and got up.

"Can she go home?" she asked the nurse. The woman nodded. Sapphire got out of bed, apologized to Daniel who was half-asleep, his arm twitching every now and then, and left with her friends.

"Seriously, the whole school had collected to see you there" said Andy. "The crowd you made, wow. And you should have seen the look in their eyes. It was a real WTF situation" he added with a grin. Sapphire grumbled.

"You're really making me feel better, thanks" she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You're welcome!" he answered lightly, earning a smack from Sarah. Ruby stayed silent the whole walk.

When the two girls entered the household, the atmosphere grew eerily silent, and noticeably heavy.

"I'm going to bed" mumbled Sapphire, putting her bag in the hall. Ruby didn't say a word, and let the girl leave.

Sapphire didn't care it was only four in the afternoon. She wasn't hungry, she had no homework, not like she cared anyway, and she was tired.

She fell on her bed, and fell asleep.

*Dream Sequence Now*

Lily walked up to Sapphire, who was fidgeting slightly.

"Hey, Sapphire. What did you want to talk about?" asked the blonde. She was a year older than the smaller girl, and yet they were best friends. They first met in preschool, and have been inseparable ever since.

Sapphire bit her lip.

"Actually, Lily…we've been friends for a while" Lily laughed.

"That's an understatement. Years, to be exact. Now tell me, you know I won't get mad at you, no matter what you say" Sapphire nodded, and gulped.

"Actually, Lily, these past weeks, I found out that…I needed to tell someone…" she couldn't finish her sentence.

"It's ok Sapphire, go ahead"

"I like girls, Lily" she blurted out.

The blonde froze completely, but Sapphire didn't know how she had taken the news. Her eyes were riveted on the floor in between them, not daring to look up.

"You're gay?" Sapphire nodded slightly, wincing at the name. Did there have to be a label for everything?

"Sorry, this is just so much…" whispered Lily. Before Sapphire could say a word, the taller girl ran off.

Days passed. Lily didn't talk to her anymore, and Sapphire was earning stares from certain people. She was sure she heard the words 'disgusting', 'unnatural', and 'mistake of nature' whispered in her direction, but Sapphire tried to ignore them. Lily seriously didn't tell everybody, they were best friends, she would never do that.

A big boy with white hair stepped in front of her, stopping her. His friends gathered around her, and Sapphire started feeling anxious. She didn't know these people, but she was sure they were at least two years older than her.

"So, what do people like you do the whole time?" spoke the boy, his eyes filled with disgust and hatred. A crowd started to gather. Sapphire felt her palms get sweaty from anxiety.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you do when you're hanging out with your ordinary girly friends? Look at them?" he asked, taking a step forward. Sapphire took one backward.

"Or maybe you dream of them, in your own disgusting way" he said, stepping forward again. Sapphire felt a boy behind her grab her bag, and rip it out of her grip.

"Hey!"

Before she could do anything, her school books and her homework were in shreds. Sapphire sat on the ground, tears in her eyes, as the group walked away, the crowd following, throwing insults at her.

The teacher gave her a bad grade, for 'particular reasons', and yet she had less errors then some kids with B's. Nobody talked to her, everybody looked at her. Every now and then, the group of boys would come back and destroy her homework. One day, they threw the books at her, and the crowd was cheering them on. Sapphire saw Lily in the distance, tears in her eyes. She did nothing, nothing for her childhood friend. Sapphire felt her own eyes fill with tears.

Sapphire came home, and saw her father put down the phone, and walk towards the living room. Her mother was already there, knitting a pair of socks. She wasn't old; she just loved to knit during her free time. Sapphire saw her father sit next to her, and whisper something in her ear.

Sapphire went up to her room, going to do her homework. What was the use, though? Those boys ripped it up, and whatever she managed to save was neglected by the teachers.

Sapphire heard her father's footsteps come up the stairs as she opened her bag. She ignored it, he probably forgot something.

The knocks on her door caught her by surprise, though.

"Yes?" the man entered the door, his expression troubled and his eyes shut. He carefully took a seat on one of the chairs, and Sapphire waited for him to explain his presence.

"Your teacher called me" he stated. Sapphire felt her gut clench. "He said that you were getting bad grades and that you were neglecting your homework these past days" he said quietly. Sapphire sat up.

"But Dad! That's not my fault! He's giving me bad grades! I do my homework, but he ignores it!" he stood up as well, but with a violent movement.

"Why is he giving you bad grades?" Sapphire leaned back. She didn't like the look in his eyes.

"I-I don't know"

"Why is he neglecting you homework?" he took a step forward. Sapphire sat in her chair.

"I don't know!"

The man sat back down in his chair, still looking at her.

"He also told me that you liked girls" he said. Sapphire tensed immediately, stiff as a board. "Is that true?"

She felt fear start to nibble on her mind.

"Is it true?" he demanded again. She tried to regain her composure.

"So what if I do?" the man stood up again, again in a violent manner.

"So you gay?" he growled. She closed her eyes, and nodded slightly. "Insolent child! After all we do for you, and you thank us with this? What are people going to think of us, having a lesbian as a daughter?"

"But Dad, it's not my fault!"

"Silence!" he slapped her on the cheek, hard. "You are going to change, you hear? Get out of you sickness! Be normal, or we're throwing you out!" he yelled, slamming the door behind him.

Sapphire fell on the ground, breaking into a fit of sobs.

It wasn't her fault. She didn't wake up one morning, thinking 'hey, why won't I make my own life miserably and become gay?' She would do anything to not be like this.

And yet, she couldn't change. She knew she wouldn't, that she could never change. It was stuck to her, as if it was her nature.

It was.

At dinner, she said that, and her father smacked the plate of food over her head, and her mother started yelling at her. They said the same things over and over again. How they worked so hard to raise a good child, and how she disappoints them in such a terrible way. How such an adorable girl with such a bright future could spoil her own future. How she ruined the family name, how she stained the family tree.

She couldn't take it. She refused, she yelled out her logic, how it wasn't her fault.

She was rewarded with another slap, a grab, a shove, and the slam of a door closing behind her.

"Don't you dare call yourself Sapphire Bell ever again! Because you're not of this family anymore!" yelled her father from the other side of the door.

Sapphire was stuck outside, in the cold, with nothing but a shirt and jeans.

Nothing else.

Sapphire passed months like that. Slowly getting hungrier, lonelier. Christmas was difficult to bear, seeing all those happy faces. She was offered more coins then, but nobody from her family ever searched for her. She wasn't reported missing on the news.

She avoided roads taken by people from her school. Slowly but surely, she made her way to the other side of the huge city.

Then, she came. Ruby came by, and offered her a drink, a home, a school, and clothes.

And Sapphire did what she feared the most.

She fell in love. She fell painfully in love with the only person who took her in and the only person who could kick her back out.

She was going to end up miserable, alone on the streets, again and again.

Sapphire felt herself being shaken awake. She was covered in cold sweat, and was still dressed.

"Sapphire, are you all right?" Sapphire tensed when she recognized her voice. Her voice. "Why are you so tense?"

"Please!" Sapphire yelled, pushing the taller girl away from her. Sapphire didn't want to feel like this. Ruby…

Over the days, she craved her touch more and more. Every gaze Ruby threw in her direction only fueled the passion more. Every kind movement, every humorous joke, made Sapphire want to hold her in her arms and never let go of her.

"Please, please don't touch me" she whimpered, memories coming back quickly and sharply. She didn't want that this wonderful person would hate her as well. If Lily threw her away, why wouldn't Ruby?

"Sapphire, what's the matter?" Sapphire shook her head.

"Everything!"

"Why don't you talk about it?" asked the taller girl, sitting next to Sapphire. The latter scooted further away, trying to avoid any physical contact. Ruby sighed.

"You know you can tell me, you know I won't get mad at you, no matter what you say" Sapphire winced, and buried her head between her knees, in a similar position as the one she held when they first met.

"Lies!"

"What?"

"You're lying! She said the same thing!" she yelled, tears threatening to pour out of her eyes. "We were best friends for years, and she threw me away like that! Just because…" she didn't, couldn't finish her sentence.

"Sapphire, what are talking abou-"

"I told her, and she told the whole school! Teachers gave me bad grades, boys threw things at me, and I got kicked out!" Ruby tried to wrap an arm around the girl, but Sapphire pulled away.

"Please, don't touch me, it only makes things worse" Sapphire sighed.

"Sapphire, I wish I could understand"

"You can't! If I told you, then you'll kick me out, too! Especially because…" she trailed off again.

"Sapphire, I promise I won't harm you in any way possible if you tell me" Sapphire froze.

"Are you sure?" she whimpered, barely audible. She was scared, yet willing to give up this secret. "Think of all the things I could tell you, would accept them all?" Ruby didn't hesitate, she nodded right away.

Sapphire looked up at her.

"You can't know how scared I am, Ruby" the elder girl smiled, and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl.

"You don't have to be" Sapphire tried not to melt into the hug, and tried not to think about anything. "Go on, tell me anything, everything" Sapphire took in a deep breath.

She told her story. Almost everything that happened. She told everything from B to Z.

Ruby listen calmly, sometimes seeming a bit shocked, but never interrupted. She always held the smaller girl in the hug, feeling Sapphire's warm, shivering breaths against her neck.

When Sapphire finished, Ruby inhaled slowly.

"So, you passed Christmas on the streets?" Sapphire nodded, not caring about the unimportance of the question.

"Then I'll buy you something" Sapphire nodded again, not really caring. She still hasn't revealed what she was, so she still shivered with fear. Ruby inhaled again.

"Now tell me, Sapphire. Why did all that happen? What did you tell Lily?" Sapphire shook her head. "It's ok, tell me" Sapphire tightened her fists, her breath becoming ragged.

"I can't"

"Sure you can"

"No, I can't"

"Did you promise anybody other than yourself to keep it as a secret?"

"No"

"Then tell me" Sapphire shook her head.

Why was Ruby so persistent? Why did she want to know so badly?

She breathed again, this was taking too long. She needed to finish her story, or else she was sure she'd die from old age.

"I like girls" she whispered. Ruby patted her back.

"There, now was that so hard?" Sapphire felt a weight of five hundred thousand pounds be lifted from her shoulders. She had said it, and Ruby didn't mind; unless she didn't hear correctly.

But she couldn't care for the moment. Her secret was out, the person she told didn't care, and everything seemed to be much better.

"Now, why was that so hard to tell me? Did that have anything to do with your not willing to touch me? Is that the reason you were avoiding my eyes lately?" Sapphire gulped. She noticed? "Let me tell you something" whispered the taller girl, still rubbing Sapphire's back.

Sapphire listened, and melted a little in Ruby's arms. She didn't seem to mind, so why not?

"The day I took you wasn't the first time I saw you. I actually saw you for the first time on Christmas. Strange, huh? You looked so cold in that snow, so sad seeing those happy faces. I felt bad, so I dropped fifty dollars in your old little plastic cup"

Sapphire felt her breath catch. So it was Ruby who gave her that amount of money. She had brought herself a tea with that, she remembered.

The only warm beverage she drank during her entire 'homeless' part of life.

Ruby was good at giving her tea, it seemed.

"I seemed to cross you all the time. In marketplaces, the train station, next to the theatres, everywhere. Whenever I had a few dollars to spare, I gave you it"

Sapphire didn't realize. She never looked at the people who walked by, only their shoes.

So…

"And every time, one thought always stuck on my mind. You seemed so unhappy, every time you were filthier, and yet, I couldn't stop saying to myself that you were irresistibly cute and adorable" Sapphire blushed, and tensed a little. "I wanted to get to know you, so that day, when we first spoke, I decided to take you in"

Ruby backed up a little, staring Sapphire straight in the eyes with a smile.

"I don't think I regret it"

Sapphire had no idea what to do, she was at loss for words. Was that an indirect confession?

All train of thought stopped when Sapphire felt Ruby kiss her.

Warm, gentle, soft and caring were some of the words that floated through Sapphire's head. She was frozen in complete bliss, utter happiness and relief.

This person wasn't disgusted by her nature, on the contrary.

She liked, maybe even loved her back.

Sapphire quickly responded, tugging on Ruby's sleeve. She begged for more contact, more warmth. Ruby smiled in the kiss, and Sapphire blushed.

"I always found you cute when you blushed" said Ruby, interrupting the kiss.

Sapphire now felt a little frustrated. Couldn't that moment have lasted longer? Once again, it seemed as if Ruby read her mind.

"Don't get impatient, now"

"For once, I think your humor is sick" grumbled Sapphire. Despite this exchange, the mood wasn't ruined. Ruby chuckled.

"Well, don't you think you should eat something? It's dinner time after all" Sapphire smiled and hugged Ruby more tightly.Sapphire groaned, but didn't open her eyes. This bed felt so warm, she wanted to stay here like she was married to it.

But she wanted to open her eyes. She knew that if she stayed her, those nightmares, those horrible realities would return. Rather divorce with the bed, then.

Sapphire opened her eyes slowly, wincing at the bright light. It must be around two in the afternoon. She knew that from the position of the sun. One knew these things from being in the streets for so long.

Sapphire sat up slowly, looking around. She was at the nurse's.

With another wince, Sapphire remembered what had happened about two hours ago.

"Hello?" she croaked. Great, her throat hurt, as if she had been screaming, a lot and loudly.

"Ah, hello, honey" a woman, the nurse, for sure, walked past the drawn curtain. Wait, why was it drawn? "How are you?"

"Not too bad. Nothing hurts…" the woman looked at her, deep in her eyes.

"Sure? Nothing on your shoulder, or arm or anything?" Sapphire was puzzled.

"What's with those weird questions?" the woman shook her head.

"You caused quite a scene, during lunch" Sapphire felt her gut tighten.

"What do you mean?" the nurse sighed.

"Your friend…Ruby, right? She wanted to tell you. For some reason it felt important to her" Sapphire nodded, and was handed a glass of water, which she took quickly. Darn, her throat really hurt badly.

"What time is it?"

"Three o'clock" she was close. Sapphire took another gulp of water, fear brewing in her stomach.

What kind of scene had she caused?

"School finishes in half an hour, so your friends will be here soon" Sapphire nodded.

"Honey, is something or somebody tormenting you?" Sapphire felt her breath catch.

"Not in particular"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the usual"

"What's the usual?"

"The usual" Sapphire had decided to use wordplay to get out of this, even if it seemed pathetic. It was better than trying to evade it completely, or else people would be even more curious.

"Honey, talking about your problems is better than sealing them up. Problems are like lions. Cage them for too long, and you risk having them escape, and doing damage. It's always better to talk" Sapphire nodded, fear growing. What had she said or done? Too much?

But she didn't know for sure yet, so she tried to keep a positive view on this.

*Smol timeskipz brought to u by a Kitten😂*

Half an hour later, Ruby stormed in the room. Sarah and Andy followed afterwards, panting.

"Sapphire, what has happened?" demanded Ruby, putting herself to Sapphire's eye level. Sapphire backed away, feeling nervous.

"What do you mean?"

"At lunch. Chris asked you out, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Then what?"

"I passed out"

"Then what?"

"I don't know! I was unconscious!" and she was having a full trip through nightmare lane during her sleep.

"No, you didn't. Well, maybe, but then you started having a nightmare. You were screaming horrible things as we were dragging you back here. We had to give you some medicine to make you sleep peacefully" Sapphire tensed.

"What kind of things?" she expected to worse now. Was the 'eventually' going to happen now?

"At first, you were just whimpering. Chris called us, and when Daniel tried to pick you up, you yelled in your sleep, and told him not to touch you. You gave a heart attack to the poor guy" explained Andy.

"And after that, you kept screaming at people we didn't see to leave you alone, that it wasn't you fault, that you wished it were different" finished Sarah. Ruby glared at the girl in the bed.

"What by all deities have you been hiding from me?"

"Us, Ruby. Us" inserted Andy.

Sapphire could only feel immense relief. She hadn't revealed her secret. Nobody was kicking her out yet.

"I don't want to talk about it" Ruby groaned.

"We understand that! But now, we have to know! Sapphire, did you commit a crime?" Sapphire felt repulsed by that question.

"No!" she yelled, her dignity hurt.

"Did you kill someone?" Sapphire couldn't believe that one.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Girls, please don't yell so much! Your friend Daniel needs his rest as well!" Sapphire froze. So they weren't joking when they said he had a heart attack?

"He broke in a fit of spasms on the floor" said Ruby, as if she could read her mind. "Now tell me, Sapphire, what was all that?" Sapphire frowned.

She really didn't want to talk about it. It was her darkest secret.

"Not telling" Ruby got up, turned on herself, and returned to her initial position under Sapphire's watchful eyes. Ruby seemed thoughtful.

"Sapphire, understand that I care greatly for you. There's a reason I picked you up from the street"

"Oh, so I'm the only one?" asked Sapphire, sarcasm present in her voice. she felt deeply insulted by the previous questions.

"Sapphire, I'm dead serious! If anything bothers you, I want you to trust me enough for you to tell me! Please!"

Sapphire felt bad, all of a sudden. Ruby wanted her to trust her?

She didn't know what to do. She didn't want Ruby to feel bad, but at the same time, she wanted to protect herself.

With a slight hesitation, she gave her answer.

"Not here. I'll tell you, but not here" Ruby seemed satisfied enough with that, and got up.

"Can she go home?" she asked the nurse. The woman nodded. Sapphire got out of bed, apologized to Daniel who was half-asleep, his arm twitching every now and then, and left with her friends.

"Seriously, the whole school had collected to see you there" said Andy. "The crowd you made, wow. And you should have seen the look in their eyes. It was a real WTF situation" he added with a grin. Sapphire grumbled.

"You're really making me feel better, thanks" she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You're welcome!" he answered lightly, earning a smack from Sarah. Ruby stayed silent the whole walk.

When the two girls entered the household, the atmosphere grew eerily silent, and noticeably heavy.

"I'm going to bed" mumbled Sapphire, putting her bag in the hall. Ruby didn't say a word, and let the girl leave.

Sapphire didn't care it was only four in the afternoon. She wasn't hungry, she had no homework, not like she cared anyway, and she was tired.

She fell on her bed, and fell asleep.

*Dream Sequence Now*

Lily walked up to Sapphire, who was fidgeting slightly.

"Hey, Sapphire. What did you want to talk about?" asked the blonde. She was a year older than the smaller girl, and yet they were best friends. They first met in preschool, and have been inseparable ever since.

Sapphire bit her lip.

"Actually, Lily…we've been friends for a while" Lily laughed.

"That's an understatement. Years, to be exact. Now tell me, you know I won't get mad at you, no matter what you say" Sapphire nodded, and gulped.

"Actually, Lily, these past weeks, I found out that…I needed to tell someone…" she couldn't finish her sentence.

"It's ok Sapphire, go ahead"

"I like girls, Lily" she blurted out.

The blonde froze completely, but Sapphire didn't know how she had taken the news. Her eyes were riveted on the floor in between them, not daring to look up.

"You're gay?" Sapphire nodded slightly, wincing at the name. Did there have to be a label for everything?

"Sorry, this is just so much…" whispered Lily. Before Sapphire could say a word, the taller girl ran off.

Days passed. Lily didn't talk to her anymore, and Sapphire was earning stares from certain people. She was sure she heard the words 'disgusting', 'unnatural', and 'mistake of nature' whispered in her direction, but Sapphire tried to ignore them. Lily seriously didn't tell everybody, they were best friends, she would never do that.

A big boy with white hair stepped in front of her, stopping her. His friends gathered around her, and Sapphire started feeling anxious. She didn't know these people, but she was sure they were at least two years older than her.

"So, what do people like you do the whole time?" spoke the boy, his eyes filled with disgust and hatred. A crowd started to gather. Sapphire felt her palms get sweaty from anxiety.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you do when you're hanging out with your ordinary girly friends? Look at them?" he asked, taking a step forward. Sapphire took one backward.

"Or maybe you dream of them, in your own disgusting way" he said, stepping forward again. Sapphire felt a boy behind her grab her bag, and rip it out of her grip.

"Hey!"

Before she could do anything, her school books and her homework were in shreds. Sapphire sat on the ground, tears in her eyes, as the group walked away, the crowd following, throwing insults at her.

The teacher gave her a bad grade, for 'particular reasons', and yet she had less errors then some kids with B's. Nobody talked to her, everybody looked at her. Every now and then, the group of boys would come back and destroy her homework. One day, they threw the books at her, and the crowd was cheering them on. Sapphire saw Lily in the distance, tears in her eyes. She did nothing, nothing for her childhood friend. Sapphire felt her own eyes fill with tears.

Sapphire came home, and saw her father put down the phone, and walk towards the living room. Her mother was already there, knitting a pair of socks. She wasn't old; she just loved to knit during her free time. Sapphire saw her father sit next to her, and whisper something in her ear.

Sapphire went up to her room, going to do her homework. What was the use, though? Those boys ripped it up, and whatever she managed to save was neglected by the teachers.

Sapphire heard her father's footsteps come up the stairs as she opened her bag. She ignored it, he probably forgot something.

The knocks on her door caught her by surprise, though.

"Yes?" the man entered the door, his expression troubled and his eyes shut. He carefully took a seat on one of the chairs, and Sapphire waited for him to explain his presence.

"Your teacher called me" he stated. Sapphire felt her gut clench. "He said that you were getting bad grades and that you were neglecting your homework these past days" he said quietly. Sapphire sat up.

"But Dad! That's not my fault! He's giving me bad grades! I do my homework, but he ignores it!" he stood up as well, but with a violent movement.

"Why is he giving you bad grades?" Sapphire leaned back. She didn't like the look in his eyes.

"I-I don't know"

"Why is he neglecting you homework?" he took a step forward. Sapphire sat in her chair.

"I don't know!"

The man sat back down in his chair, still looking at her.

"He also told me that you liked girls" he said. Sapphire tensed immediately, stiff as a board. "Is that true?"

She felt fear start to nibble on her mind.

"Is it true?" he demanded again. She tried to regain her composure.

"So what if I do?" the man stood up again, again in a violent manner.

"So you gay?" he growled. She closed her eyes, and nodded slightly. "Insolent child! After all we do for you, and you thank us with this? What are people going to think of us, having a lesbian as a daughter?"

"But Dad, it's not my fault!"

"Silence!" he slapped her on the cheek, hard. "You are going to change, you hear? Get out of you sickness! Be normal, or we're throwing you out!" he yelled, slamming the door behind him.

Sapphire fell on the ground, breaking into a fit of sobs.

It wasn't her fault. She didn't wake up one morning, thinking 'hey, why won't I make my own life miserably and become gay?' She would do anything to not be like this.

And yet, she couldn't change. She knew she wouldn't, that she could never change. It was stuck to her, as if it was her nature.

It was.

At dinner, she said that, and her father smacked the plate of food over her head, and her mother started yelling at her. They said the same things over and over again. How they worked so hard to raise a good child, and how she disappoints them in such a terrible way. How such an adorable girl with such a bright future could spoil her own future. How she ruined the family name, how she stained the family tree.

She couldn't take it. She refused, she yelled out her logic, how it wasn't her fault.

She was rewarded with another slap, a grab, a shove, and the slam of a door closing behind her.

"Don't you dare call yourself Sapphire Bell ever again! Because you're not of this family anymore!" yelled her father from the other side of the door.

Sapphire was stuck outside, in the cold, with nothing but a shirt and jeans.

Nothing else.

Sapphire passed months like that. Slowly getting hungrier, lonelier. Christmas was difficult to bear, seeing all those happy faces. She was offered more coins then, but nobody from her family ever searched for her. She wasn't reported missing on the news.

She avoided roads taken by people from her school. Slowly but surely, she made her way to the other side of the huge city.

Then, she came. Ruby came by, and offered her a drink, a home, a school, and clothes.

And Sapphire did what she feared the most.

She fell in love. She fell painfully in love with the only person who took her in and the only person who could kick her back out.

She was going to end up miserable, alone on the streets, again and again.

Sapphire felt herself being shaken awake. She was covered in cold sweat, and was still dressed.

"Sapphire, are you all right?" Sapphire tensed when she recognized her voice. Her voice. "Why are you so tense?"

"Please!" Sapphire yelled, pushing the taller girl away from her. Sapphire didn't want to feel like this. Ruby…

Over the days, she craved her touch more and more. Every gaze Ruby threw in her direction only fueled the passion more. Every kind movement, every humorous joke, made Sapphire want to hold her in her arms and never let go of her.

"Please, please don't touch me" she whimpered, memories coming back quickly and sharply. She didn't want that this wonderful person would hate her as well. If Lily threw her away, why wouldn't Ruby?

"Sapphire, what's the matter?" Sapphire shook her head.

"Everything!"

"Why don't you talk about it?" asked the taller girl, sitting next to Sapphire. The latter scooted further away, trying to avoid any physical contact. Ruby sighed.

"You know you can tell me, you know I won't get mad at you, no matter what you say" Sapphire winced, and buried her head between her knees, in a similar position as the one she held when they first met.

"Lies!"

"What?"

"You're lying! She said the same thing!" she yelled, tears threatening to pour out of her eyes. "We were best friends for years, and she threw me away like that! Just because…" she didn't, couldn't finish her sentence.

"Sapphire, what are talking abou-"

"I told her, and she told the whole school! Teachers gave me bad grades, boys threw things at me, and I got kicked out!" Ruby tried to wrap an arm around the girl, but Sapphire pulled away.

"Please, don't touch me, it only makes things worse" Sapphire sighed.

"Sapphire, I wish I could understand"

"You can't! If I told you, then you'll kick me out, too! Especially because…" she trailed off again.

"Sapphire, I promise I won't harm you in any way possible if you tell me" Sapphire froze.

"Are you sure?" she whimpered, barely audible. She was scared, yet willing to give up this secret. "Think of all the things I could tell you, would accept them all?" Ruby didn't hesitate, she nodded right away.

Sapphire looked up at her.

"You can't know how scared I am, Ruby" the elder girl smiled, and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl.

"You don't have to be" Sapphire tried not to melt into the hug, and tried not to think about anything. "Go on, tell me anything, everything" Sapphire took in a deep breath.

She told her story. Almost everything that happened. She told everything from B to Z.

Ruby listen calmly, sometimes seeming a bit shocked, but never interrupted. She always held the smaller girl in the hug, feeling Sapphire's warm, shivering breaths against her neck.

When Sapphire finished, Ruby inhaled slowly.

"So, you passed Christmas on the streets?" Sapphire nodded, not caring about the unimportance of the question.

"Then I'll buy you something" Sapphire nodded again, not really caring. She still hasn't revealed what she was, so she still shivered with fear. Ruby inhaled again.

"Now tell me, Sapphire. Why did all that happen? What did you tell Lily?" Sapphire shook her head. "It's ok, tell me" Sapphire tightened her fists, her breath becoming ragged.

"I can't"

"Sure you can"

"No, I can't"

"Did you promise anybody other than yourself to keep it as a secret?"

"No"

"Then tell me" Sapphire shook her head.

Why was Ruby so persistent? Why did she want to know so badly?

She breathed again, this was taking too long. She needed to finish her story, or else she was sure she'd die from old age.

"I like girls" she whispered. Ruby patted her back.

"There, now was that so hard?" Sapphire felt a weight of five hundred thousand pounds be lifted from her shoulders. She had said it, and Ruby didn't mind; unless she didn't hear correctly.

But she couldn't care for the moment. Her secret was out, the person she told didn't care, and everything seemed to be much better.

"Now, why was that so hard to tell me? Did that have anything to do with your not willing to touch me? Is that the reason you were avoiding my eyes lately?" Sapphire gulped. She noticed? "Let me tell you something" whispered the taller girl, still rubbing Sapphire's back.

Sapphire listened, and melted a little in Ruby's arms. She didn't seem to mind, so why not?

"The day I took you wasn't the first time I saw you. I actually saw you for the first time on Christmas. Strange, huh? You looked so cold in that snow, so sad seeing those happy faces. I felt bad, so I dropped fifty dollars in your old little plastic cup"

Sapphire felt her breath catch. So it was Ruby who gave her that amount of money. She had brought herself a tea with that, she remembered.

The only warm beverage she drank during her entire 'homeless' part of life.

Ruby was good at giving her tea, it seemed.

"I seemed to cross you all the time. In marketplaces, the train station, next to the theatres, everywhere. Whenever I had a few dollars to spare, I gave you it"

Sapphire didn't realize. She never looked at the people who walked by, only their shoes.

So…

"And every time, one thought always stuck on my mind. You seemed so unhappy, every time you were filthier, and yet, I couldn't stop saying to myself that you were irresistibly cute and adorable" Sapphire blushed, and tensed a little. "I wanted to get to know you, so that day, when we first spoke, I decided to take you in"

Ruby backed up a little, staring Sapphire straight in the eyes with a smile.

"I don't think I regret it"

Sapphire had no idea what to do, she was at loss for words. Was that an indirect confession?

All train of thought stopped when Sapphire felt Ruby kiss her.

Warm, gentle, soft and caring were some of the words that floated through Sapphire's head. She was frozen in complete bliss, utter happiness and relief.

This person wasn't disgusted by her nature, on the contrary.

She liked, maybe even loved her back.

Sapphire quickly responded, tugging on Ruby's sleeve. She begged for more contact, more warmth. Ruby smiled in the kiss, and Sapphire blushed.

"I always found you cute when you blushed" said Ruby, interrupting the kiss.

Sapphire now felt a little frustrated. Couldn't that moment have lasted longer? Once again, it seemed as if Ruby read her mind.

"Don't get impatient, now"

"For once, I think your humor is sick" grumbled Sapphire. Despite this exchange, the mood wasn't ruined. Ruby chuckled.

"Well, don't you think you should eat something? It's dinner time after all" Sapphire smirked and hugged Ruby more tightly with her hands cupping her ass.

"Oh I know what I'm gonna eat~" Luka squeaked as Sapphire pounces on her.


	4. Repentance

Lily leaned on her palm, slowly drinking the milkshake her glass contained. It was sunny weather in the city, and everybody seemed in a good mood. All her friends were laughing as one of them cracked a joke, enjoying the weather and the sun.

But Lily couldn't get her mind off her long-lost friend, Sapphire. She had told one of her other friends what Sapphire had told her, and it spread like wild fire. Soon Lily could only watch as Sapphire took the torture.

But it hurt, it had been her fault. Lily could have spared her lifetime friend all the pain just by keeping her lips shut. And when she was taking another round of mocking's, all she did was watch. Lily could only watch. She was paralyzed with guilt. The blonde didn't talk to Sapphire since, for fear of seeing her friend yell at her.

But one day, Sapphire didn't come. Sure, nobody worried much; they knew she was just trying to avoid more ridicule. But as weeks followed, she still didn't return. Her parents had called that the girl didn't go there anymore. When they were asked where exactly she was, they plainly replied that she was in the right place for people like her.

Lily had only felt her guilt increase since. She kept thinking about how different things could have gone. She could have shown some compassion towards the girl she had known for so long. And yet…all she had done was destroy her life.

But that wasn't the worst. Just when Lily thought she couldn't feel worse, she spotted her.

Sapphire was sleeping in the corner of a street, a broken cup in front of her, shivering, and very dirty. She was wearing the exact same clothes as she was the last day she had been seen.

Lily wanted to throw up when she saw her. Not at Sapphire's filth or misery, but at her own actions.

What had she done to her friend, the girl she had known for so long?

Sapphire didn't deserve all that. She was kind, she didn't deserve to be disgusted by so many.

Now it had been six months since she saw her, the day before Christmas. Lily kept wondering where she was, how she was, even if she was still alive.

Now it was mid-June, plain summer and the beginning of vacation. Lily and her friends were now out on a little shopping spree, getting whatever caught the eye. Now they were resting a little at a small café, drinking milkshakes and eating ice cream.

"Hey, Lily, you seem down" she shrugged at her boyfriend's remark.

"Just thinking"

"About what?" he asked, putting an arm around her shoulder. Lily sighed.

"Nothing much. Just…" she wanted to know how they thought of her. They never talked about it, and she was a little tired of keeping these thoughts to herself. "Remember Sapphire?" the boy didn't react for a second, before smirking.

"Ah yeah, her…Blue hair and eyes, right?" he asked. Lily nodded. "What about her?" he asked with a smug grin.

"I don't know, I've just been wondering where she is right now" he snorted.

"Wait, you actually worry about a girl like her?" she frowned.

"No need to be rude. Remember that she was my best friend" her face fell "I can't believe I actually did that to her"

"Ah, no need to worry. People like her don't deserve our attention" he stated, gaining a few snickers from his pals. Lily wanted to respond, but didn't. He was a really nice guy, but couldn't seem to be able to stand people like…Sapphire.

"Well, speak of the devil, look who's here!" exclaimed the boy. Lily looked up, and couldn't believe her eyes.

There she was. Sapphire. In person.

But that wasn't the weirdest part of it; she was surrounded by others. Three girls, one with short brown hair, one smaller blonde and a tall girl with bright pink hair, and three boys. A young man with dark blue hair, another blonde who looked a lot like the blonde girl and a tall young man. Sapphire was smiling, arms locked with the brunette haired girl. The small group was heading in their direction.

Lily felt tears coming to her eyes. She was ok.

The news made her feel much more relieved than she expected.

"Well, seems as if she's found a new group of people to bother" stated the boy, grimacing. "She must feel so comfortable now, standing next to such a beauty of a girl" Lily glared at him.

"Hey, that's none of our business. And maybe they know what she is" he snorted.

"Yeah, right. If I were a chick, I wouldn't let a gay girl stand that close to me" he stated. Lily turned back towards the group.

They seemed to be having great fun. The two smaller blondes (certainly twins) were cheering, while the taller pair, boy with blue hair and girl with short brown, were talking happily, the remaining trio just blabbing happily.

It seems as if Sapphire really has found some new friends.

Lily froze as they decided to stop and have a drink at the same place where she was.

The girl didn't know what to do, all of a sudden. This girl whose life she's ruined just decided to show up after six months of absence, and she has no idea what to do.

Should she walk up there and have herself forgiven? Should she leave her alone? Lily had no idea.

She felt extremely guilty, and the feeling was now more pronounced than ever. She now had a chance to make herself forgiven.

And yet…she was scared.

Yes, that was it; Lily was scared of her long-lost friend's reaction. What would she do? Scream at her? Hit her? (after all, Lily knew she deserved even that)

"Hey, Lily, you ok?" asked the boy next to her.

"Yeah…"

"Hey, don't worry 'bout her. She doesn't deserve your worry" Lily frowned.

She couldn't help but observe the small group. The twins were always fighting, and she knew one of them was called Chris from the yell the girl screamed. The brunette had ordered some sake, while the others took some milkshake. That is strange, to be drinking at this hour. The blue boy with the scarf (seriously? In this weather?) Scowled when he heard what the girl had ordered. He must have the same reason as she did.

When the girl who locked arms with Sapphire swiped away Sapphire's milkshake as a joke, Lily heard her ex-friend call out 'Ruby'. So, that was her name. It seemed strangely fitting for such a girl. Lily could see from afar that she was a joker, and yet she was clearly smart.

Lily watched as the girl called Ruby teased the blue-haired girl for a moment, a smirk on her lips. Sapphire complained, Lily could see, and Ruby gave her back the drink with a grin.

Lily sighed; she had no idea what to do. She was almost glued here to her chair. She wanted to talk to Sapphire, and then she didn't…

But she felt happy. Sapphire seemed perfectly ok, and was happy. But did her friends know what she was? What the boy had said was true; a girl wouldn't feel comfortable around a gay girl. And yet, Ruby, the brunette and the female half of those twins seemed perfectly fine around her. So did they know?

Lily's gut twisted. What if they didn't? Sapphire would find herself shun all over again. She would re-end up on the streets, and re-live the whole ordeal.

Lily sighed. She started this hell for her friend. But she had no idea how to end it.

The blonde peered over at the table again. She couldn't stop an amused smile as she saw Sapphire look warily at Ruby as she drank her milkshake. The taller girl, on the other hand, seemed amused as ever.

Sapphire said something towards Ruby, who merely smiled and whispered something in her ear.

Lily froze. Weren't they a bit…close? In fact, Ruby was almost kissing Sapphire's ear.

"Wow, Sapphire must be having the time of her life right now" commented the boy on Lily's right. Lily huffed.

But it was true. Those two were really close.

When Sapphire smirked at the girl's words, Lily felt it click in her mind. Those two weren't only close, they were…

Yes, it made sense. That duo could only be together.

Lily wondered how that could have possibly happened. How did she end up from street-failure to happy lover?

Lily didn't know what overcame her. She had to make things right and right now.

She didn't hear the protests her friends gave her as she approached the table. The brunette and blue-boy turned their heads in her direction when she came into view. When the two twins fell silent, the whispering duo also looked at the newcomer.

Lily saw Sapphire's eyes widen when she recognized her. She rose from the tale quickly, gaping at her. Lily felt tears come to her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sapphire. I'm so, so sorry" she whispered, barely loud enough to hear.

Sapphire only looked at with wide eyes, the others confused at the situation.

"Ok…who's this chick?" asked the brunette. Sapphire didn't respond, her expression turning into a scowl.

"Lily…do you know what…" the blonde's heart tightened in her chest. She hadn't heard her voice in so long, and now it was speaking to her in a cold tone.

"Yes, Sapphire, I saw you. I saw what I did to you. And I feel tremendously guilty about it all" she confessed. The girl didn't flinch when Ruby rose from the table.

"So…you're Lily?" she asked, eyes cold and tone careful. Lily looked at her, eyes teary.

"Sadly, yes. I am the one who practically destroyed Sapphire's life" the brunette rose from her seat, knocking her chair over.

"Wait, you're the one who sent her on the streets?" she asked, pointing the bottle in her direction. Lily nodded, and heard Ruby grumble loudly.

"Do you know what you did to her? And that is one of the worst reasons to-" Lily silenced her with her sad expression.

"I know that now. I regret everything so much…" she stretched out her hands in Sapphire's direction. "Sapphie, please forgive me, if you can. If you can't, then I understand perfectly"

Sapphire looked at the pair on hands, then back into the blue eyes who owned them.

"We were friends, Lily…" she croaked. "Since we were three, and you…" her voice caught. Lily nodded, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I know. That is why I am the monster here, not you"

Lily saw Sapphire hesitate, and she had a good reason to. She had destroyed her entire life, almost. She had no reason to be forgiven quickly.

Lily felt the stares on her. From behind, her baffled friends, from the right side the boy, the blue-boy, twins and the drink-girl, from the left Ruby, whose glare was doubtlessly the coldest one, and from the front, Sapphire, whose trust she wanted to regain, re-deserve.

When Sappire smiled and took her hands, Lily almost couldn't believe it.

"I forgive you Lily, for one reason" the blonde gasped. She actually forgave her for doing such things to her?

"Really?" she croaked. Sapphire slowly nodded.

"Because without you I wouldn't have met Ruby" Lily felt more tears escape from her eyes.

She was forgiven, she was actually forgiven.

When Sapphire embraced her in a hug, she didn't feel disgusted or repulsed like she would have six months ago. She felt relieved, happy. She had re-built a friendship that she had thrown out the window.

"I'm so, so sorry, Sapphire…" she croaked again.

"Lily!" the call from her 'friends' made her break the embrace. She turned towards her boyfriend and his pals. "What are you doing with this…thing?" he asked, revolted.

Lily smacked him. Clean across the face. You know, nice and loud? The one that stings and burns at the same time? Yeah, that kind of smack.

He stumbled backwards, gaining Lily a couple of new stares.

"Call her that again and you'll regret it badly" she hissed.

Lily had no idea what overcame her, again. This was one heck of a day.

She felt furious. She now knew how unjust she had acted towards Sapphire. Her nature really wasn't her fault; it was no reason to send her to the streets. And insulting her for that same reason…that just pushed her over the edge.

"Either you all stick up with what isn't your business or never come and speak to me again" she finished. The boy scowled, rubbing his cheek, and left, his friends following.

"Lily?" whimpered Sapphire.

She turned towards her.

"I hope to see you again, soon" she said. She turned towards Ruby. "Take care of her, I've known her for a lifetime!" she smiled at the duo's surprised expressions, and turned around, going home.

Yeah, who cares if she just ended a few friendships and broke up with her boyfriend? He was a jerk, so were they and she had just regained something so much more precious…

Yeah, she wouldn't regret it for the world.

Happy ending for everyone! If your all curious about what happens to Lily then I'll say that she is hanging out more with the group and even transferred from school :P Hope you all liked it cuz I sure liked the ending! XD


End file.
